A novel channel setup for capturing tire wear particles: Principle, numerical investigation, and experimental verification

Tire wear particles (TWPs) are an important source of microplastic pollutants, but no feasible technologies have been developed to limit emissions. In this study, a novel and practical approach was proposed to capture tire wear particles. A principal channel and an auxiliary channel were set up and investigated by an aerodynamic vehicle model with patterned tires. The results showed that the TWP concentration is the dominant factor of the capture entrance setup for obtaining a high capture ratio. With the use of this approach, the highest capture ratio reached 48.5%. The principal channel could capture approximately 2-3 times more TWPs than the auxiliary channel. The TWP capture ratio of the front channel was higher than that of the rear channel due to the wheel cover structure and higher wind pressure. The obtained findings could help develop and enrich the capturing methodology for fresh TWPs to reduce the induced pollution.